A witness testifying about the 2016 skiing collision between Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson posted messages online just weeks after the crash, telling how the actress “turned Terry off and took off.”
Craig Ramone, 48, who testified as the first witness last week, took the stand again Monday morning to confirm the authenticity of the online post – previously only referenced in an email between Sanderson and his daughters – the one simultaneous report of what happened on the day of the crash.
The post was made available to the defense on Friday by a viewer who dug it up from an online archive.
Ramone was asked to confirm that he had indeed written a series of posts on the group’s Meet Up chat in the days following the incident related to the crash.
One of the posts read: “You couldn’t make that up. Gwyneth dumped Terry last week. Last Saturday, her son broke his arm while skiing in Park City. Gwyneth lived at Montage. She took her plane from Millionaire Airport. What pisses me off is that Gwyneth did Terry and then took off. ‘
A witness testifying about the 2016 skiing collision between Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson (pictured) posted messages online weeks after the crash, telling how the actress “turned Terry off and took off.”
Craig Ramone, 48, (pictured), who testified as the first witness last week, took the stand again Monday morning to confirm the authenticity of the online post that gave a contemporaneous account of events on the day of the crash
One of the posts read: “You couldn’t make that up. Gwyneth dumped Terry last week.
In another post, he wrote that Terry had a “hard hit to the head” and was “knocked out.”
One read: “Terry didn’t do the man thing, he had a bad hit to the head. You will not be taken down the hill by the Ski Patrol if you have been hit on the butt.’
He then got into an argument with a man named Scott, who took the crash lightly and wrote:
“Scott, what you didn’t see was Terry being knocked unconscious. I saw the hit. Terry didn’t know his name. I asked him and he didn’t know.’
He added: “Scott, thanks for the humor. You try to make it easy You guys didn’t see what I saw.’
Ramone ended the call by stating that Paltrow had been the one who clashed with Sanderson.
Sanderson then took the witness stand, where he reenacted the “blood-clotting scream” he claims he heard just before Paltrow allegedly met him on the ski slope.
Sanderson, 76, is suing the actress over a 2016 skiing accident that left him with a permanent brain injury.
On Monday at the Stand, he shared how Paltrow allegedly hit him, despite not seeing “nobody” in the “wide open” area, as he began walking down the ski slope — past several signs reading “Slow Down.” .
Mimicking the sound, he said: “Everything was great and then I heard a blood-freezing scream. Then boom! It was like someone got out of control, hit a tree and died.”
Paltrow came to day five of her ski crash trial alone on Monday without her two children, Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, who are expected to take the witness stand today.
Gwyneth Paltrow, whose penchant for stealth-luxe court attire made headlines last week, wore her signature olive drab coat and mirrored a pair of $278 Ray-Ban aviator glasses as she arrived for the latest part of her epic court fight with Terry Sanderson
Paltrow, who arrived at Park City Circuit Courthouse on Monday morning, claims Sanderson collided with her and left her “sore” and screaming in anger, “You drove right into my f***ing back.”
But Sanderson, who arrived at Park City Circuit Courthouse Monday wearing a face mask, alleges Paltrow hit him while skiing and sustained permanent injuries
Sanderson alleges that Paltrow ran into him while skiing on a green run on Deer Valley’s Flagstaff Mountain.
But Paltrow says the opposite happened: He collided with her, leaving her “sore” and angrily yelled “You drove right into my f***ing back” at the seventy-year-old.
Paltrow, whose penchant for stealth-luxe court attire made headlines last week, wore her signature olive drab coat and mirrored a pair of $278 Ray-Ban aviator glasses as she arrived for the latest installment of her epic court battle with Sanderson.
While waiting in the lobby for court to begin, she removed her coat to reveal a pleated black midi skirt, white blouse and her now $1,200 Celine boots.
Sanderson was the second witness to take the stand Monday morning as the trial entered its second week.
He told the court he hadn’t been in the room for most of the past week because he wanted his daughters to be able to speak freely and without worrying that they might upset him.
The pensioner said he was an experienced skier who had been skiing two to three times a week before the accident and had never been involved in another fall.
He said he first skied in Deer Valley on the day of the ski smash – and told the jury he was there as part of a meet-up group.
Sanderson alleges that Paltrow ran into him while skiing on a green run on Deer Valley’s Flagstaff Mountain
But Paltrow says the opposite happened: He collided with her, leaving her “sore” and angrily yelled “You drove right into my f***ing back” at the seventy-year-old
Gwyneth Paltrow’s children Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, are expected to testify today in the actress’ $300,000 civil lawsuit over a 2016 skiing accident that left the Utah optometrist with a brain injury
Sanderson said he chose to ski down the right side of the runway to avoid the crowded areas in the middle, noting that he also chose the spot because of the poor vision in his right eye.
Sanderson added, “I was hit so hard in the back it felt like it was perfectly centered. Serious, serious blow. And I fly I absolutely fly. All I saw was a whole lot of snow.’
He gave details of the crash, saying: “Everything is black. I wouldn’t know if the person who hit me would have landed on my back. The first thing I remember is everything is black like I’m unconscious. I could hear a man scream, I knew he was crazy. I knew he was close to me.
“I tried to move but nothing responded, not my head, not my body. Then it became clearer and I heard, “You were driving against the rules. You hit someone. You hurt someone.”
I couldn’t move and about the third time he went through this he really insisted I was doing something wrong and hurting someone.
As he lay there, Sanderson whispered, “I’m sorry,” to placate the man. He said: “I think I need to placate this guy. If he wanted to jump on me, he could finish me off.’
He said he then overheard Craig Ramone, who was testifying at the trial, asking if he was okay and looking up to see him standing next to a man in an all-green outfit. He said his vision “swamed with sparks” and his “ears were buzzing.”
Sanderson said he remembered being asked if he knew who he was and if he knew where he was – he said he didn’t – and that the man in green, Eric Christiansen, then drove off.
The pensioner said he was completely disoriented at times as he got up and tried to drive down the hill before being stopped because he was unable.
Sanderson said he did not receive medical care until he was escorted down the mountain by Ski Patrol.
He said he had no idea who hit him until later in the day, when Ramon informed him the collision with Paltrow happened.
Sanderson said, “I didn’t think it was cool. I’m not a celebrity worship person.’
When asked about an email he sent to his daughters with the subject line “I’m famous,” he replied, “My head was messed up. I didn’t choose my words well. I tried to bring some lightness to a serious situation and it backfired.’
Sanderson choked and cried as he read a post on the link included with the email, which included a photo of Ski Patrol leader Whitney taking him off the mountain.
Sanderson choked and cried as he read a post on the link included with the email, which included a photo of Ski Patrol leader Whitney taking him off the mountain
Sanderson said he chose to ski down the right side of the runway to avoid the crowded areas in the middle, noting that he also chose the spot because of the poor vision in his right eye
Sanderson explained, “I was hit so hard in the back it felt like it was perfectly centered. Serious, serious blow. And I fly I absolutely fly. All I saw was a whole load of snow.
He also spoke about his injuries, saying he fractured four ribs and suffered a concussion.
When asked how the injuries would have affected him, he said: “I live a different life now. I can no longer ski. I was told I would end up in a nursing home if I had another accident.
He added: “I’m a much more cautious person. I’m not taking any chances because I don’t want any more brain damage.
“Everything is backwards, I build from the little things. Communication, I just can’t connect.’
Sanderson said he got lost on the way home when he first tried to help the Green Team – a volunteer cleaning group.
He said: “I had no more instincts. I’ve never been reliant on maps. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my visual memory – I may have been there a dozen times and still have to use maps to make sure I’m in the right place.
The retiree said his relationships have gotten “more difficult” since the crash, making it harder for him to be there for “my girls,” whom he described as “angels.”
When asked about his youngest daughter, Jenny, who testified that he was “domineering,” he said, “Jenny and I probably don’t communicate as well as I do with my other two daughters. I’m trying to push to keep those lines open, but there have been times when there have been breaches. I just feel like I need to step in and help more.
The trial over the Deer Valley Resort incident began Monday in Park City District Court
dr Gibby showed the court X-rays and brain scans on Wednesday that suggested Sanderson’s injuries were caused by Paltrow punching him
In the last part of his testimony, Sanderson said he had become a “recluse” since the crash and had lost his “confidence.”
He said: “I was a self-imposed recluse. I don’t feel as funny, I don’t have the spark that I had.
“I traveled a lot. It was something, Carlene [his ex-girlfriend] It was my pleasure. I have traveled to some places alone. I have traveled [since the collision]part of the problem is that I’m easily confused, so I like to have someone with me.
“I do things wrong. I don’t feel safe traveling alone. I hadn’t [traveled alone] since.’
He said he was in denial about the extent of his injuries and tried to do everything to heal, but to no avail.
Sanderson said, “There’s just always stuff I can’t do because I can’t figure it out.”
When asked if he caused the crash, he said: “Absolutely not. I swear to my god and to my children.’
When he filed the lawsuit, he added: “After a while, I realized that no one would believe how serious my injuries were. My daddy would say if you have the truth bring the truth and don’t let anyone hold you back. That’s what I felt I had to do here.’
Last week, the jury heard Paltrow’s account of the crash – including initially believing she was being sexually assaulted by Sanderson.
Last week, the jury heard Paltrow’s account of the crash – including initially believing she was being sexually assaulted by Sanderson
Terry Sanderson, the Utah man who is suing Paltrow, exits the courtroom after testifying Friday in Park City, Utah. He accuses her of bumping into him at Deer Valley Resort in 2016
The actress said she heard Sanderson make a “groaning sound” as they collided and initially thought she was being attacked by someone “perverted”.
She said: “He was making some weird noises that sounded like a man and he was big so I assumed he was a man.
“At first I was confused because something like this is very strange on a ski slope. A few seconds later I got very angry.
“Then a body pressed against me and made a moaning sound. I didn’t know, is this a prank or is someone doing something kinky?’
Paltrow denied she was watching son Moses skiing at the time of the crash, but was brought down by the testimony of her son’s instructor, Kari Oaks.
Acknowledging the point, she said: “I can still watch my kids ski and get rammed right in my back by someone and that’s exactly what happened.
“My daughter was down the hill and my son was on my left, I was skiing and my eyes weren’t just on Moses.”
The accident happened on Bandana Mountain in Utah in 2016. The ski slope where the accident occurred was shown in court last week
Paltrow in a social media post the year before the accident at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. She captioned the post: “20 years later and I still get it #justlikeridingabike”
Earlier in the trial last week, the court heard from Sanderson’s lead attorney, Laurence Buhler, who described the actress as “callous and ruthless” in his opening statement.
Paltrow’s attorney Stephen Owens responded by describing the retiree’s claims as “full BS
Florida-based neurologist Dr. Richard Boehme also told the court that Paltrow caused the crash — and told jurors their version of events did not match the four broken ribs left by Sanderson after the February 2016 crash.
His daughters Shae Herath, 52, and Polly Grasham, 49, also spoke in court – detailing the dramatic personality changes their father allegedly suffered as a result of his head injury.
Both women came out in tears during their testimony, describing how Sanderson is now unable to perform the simplest of tasks and is easily confused.
Shae said: “My dad has some personality issues, the injury to his brain caused significant damage – enough to cause personality changes.
“My father is very insecure, he doesn’t show it, but he doesn’t trust his brain anymore. He used to be able to multitask and do all sorts of things and now he can’t get through it.
“As his daughter, I feel his life is trying.”
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for more than $300,000, alleging that she recklessly drove into him from behind, fractured four ribs and suffered head trauma, which manifested as post-concussion syndrome after the accident.
Paltrow has countersued for $1 and attorneys’ fees, alleging that Sanderson was at fault and entered her from behind.
Though the courtroom in Park City, Utah, was less than full during the first week of the trial, the case has emerged as the most closely watched celebrity trial since Johnny Depp brought Amber Heard to trial in Virginia nearly a year ago.
Clips of lawyer outbursts and Paltrow’s Friday testimony were cut and shared widely on social media as observers debated the motivations on both sides for pursuing the protracted legal battle seven years after the clash.